ABSTRACT
In western Tanzania there is a second cluster of related Bantu languages whose speakers number approximately 2,500,000: Sumbwa, Sukuma, Nyamwezi, Kimbu, Nilyamba, and Nyaturu. Of these Sukuma has by far the largest number of speakers. All these languages have lexical and grammatical tone; most have a tone shift of some sort, all except Sumbwa have 7 vowels, and a relatively simple consonant system. All except Nyaturu and Sumbwa have a nominal pre-prefix with deictic function. Sumbwa, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, and Kimbu have noun classes 1–18, Nilyamba and Nyaturu have no class 13, forming the plural of 12 fey 19. All form locatives by use of classes 16–18. Apart from Swahili, Sukuma has by far the largest number of speakers in Tanzania. To east, south, and west, the boundaries are fluid, Sukuma speakers mingling with those of neighboring languages. Population density around Mwanza is among the highest in Tanzania.
